The statement said, among other things, that "agents of the chief police department assigned to the Spanish Interpol branch, to the group for tracking down fugitives at the Main Commissariat of the Judicial Police and the Police Department in Las Palmas, yesterday arrested Croatian General Ante Gotovina, born in Zadar (50), who is presumed to have violated the law and customs of war and committed crimes against humanity".
The Spanish National Police "led an intensive investigation since 8 March 2004".
"Several special agents came across (Gotovina) in a restaurant of the luxury hotel Playa de Las Americas at Tenerife. Although it was assumed that he was armed and dangerous, and that he had protection, the arrest was over in a matter of seconds and without incidents," read the statement.
At the time of the arrest, Gotovina had a fake Croatian passport in the name of Kristijan Horvat, it added.
This afternoon, Gotovina was transferred to Madrid by military plane. He was escorted by Spanish Interpol agents, under tight security measures, and was surrendered to the Supreme Court.
According to the Spanish media, the court will hand over Gotovina to the Hague tribunal at once, without the extradition procedure. The court will apply a special 1994 law which regulates cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.
Article Six of the said law reads that the court will acquaint the arrestee wanted by the Hague tribunal with the indictment and then order immediate surrender.